Research Reports

While capital flow to women entrepreneurs is on the rise, it by no means parallels the extraordinary growth of women-owned businesses in the United States. This report examines current lending practices and highlights financing strategies and new programs around the nation aimed at these entrepreneurs that are making great progress in increasing funding for these new market enterprises.

This report sheds additional light on some of the issues affecting women-owned firms in federal procurement. It draws upon information from a national survey taken among women business owners from a variety of industries who had a prime federal contract in FY1997. The results of this study add to public knowledge of the characteristics, contributions, and challenges of women-owned businesses in the federal procurement arena, and form a framework for public-policy recommendations and further programmatic efforts.

This report summarizes the results of focus group discussions held among women in two geographic areas: Washington, D.C. (specifically northern Virginia), and San Francisco, CA. The objectives of this qualitative research were five-fold: explore the paths these women took to federal contracting; learn about who or what helped them enter into the Federal procurement marketplace; discuss their past and current challenges in the market; explore their views on recent trends in federal procurement and how these trends are affecting them; and probe their ideas and suggestions for how to improve federal procurement system.

This Guide identifies model programs that have been effective in increasing competitive contracting opportunities for women-owned firms in the public and private sectors and identifies some of the key elements of successful supplier diversity programs. The Guide builds on a decade of inquiry by the Council into the challenges and opportunities for women seeking access to markets for their goods and services.

This analysis is a first-ever, in-depth review of the characteristics of women-owned firms in federal contracting and a comparison of those characteristics with those of all women-owned firms. It will enable public-policy makers, government procurement officials, women business owners themselves, and other interested parties to gain a greater understanding of the women entrepreneurs who are providing products and services to federal government agencies.

This report provides a blueprint for the future of women’s business enterprises, in which the vision and priorities of women business owners drive policies and programs that enhance their access to capital, know-how, leadership, and opportunities.

This report of the Expert Policy Workshop Series: Access to Capital and Credit offers recommendations on how to create an economic infrastructure that supports entrepreneurship and business development.

This report of the Interagency Committee on Women’s Business Enterprise is designed to be a resource guide as well as an evaluation of where the federal government has made progress in addressing the needs of women entrepreneurs.

This report identifies research necessary to expand knowledge of women’s entrepreneurship for educators and academics, policy makers, and private firms. Through facts, figures and analysis, this report provides a better understanding of women business owners and how they operate their businesses.

This report is an official documentation of the growth, economic contributions and critical barriers that exist for the women’s business sector. It includes statistical information known to date about women’s business ownership in the United States.